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Getting the best out of bett 2014 2nd ed v2

1.
Getting the Best out of Bett
An unofficial guide
2014 Edition
Terry Freedman

2.
Getting the Best out of Bett1
An unofficial guide
by Terry Freedman
Over 170 great tips for getting the most out of your visit!
Including 7 completely new sections and over 40 completely new tips!
Plus research statistics from BESA.
Plus a floor plan2
This edition of the Guide has been kindly sponsored by
ICT Direct
So what did you think of Bett? Once you’ve been, contribute to the 2014 Bett Review by
completing this form
Sponsorship opportunities
This publication has been sponsored by ICT Direct. If you would like to sponsor a future publication
or newsletter, or advertise with us, please ask for our Advertising and Sponsorship pack.
1
2
“BETT” is now officially referred to as “Bett”.
Zoom in to read the small print!
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(c) 2014 Terry Freedman www.ictineducation.org

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Table of contents
Sponsorship opportunities ............................................................................................................. 2
Copyright etc ................................................................................................................................. 3
Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 4
Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 4
16 Reasons to attend ..................................................................................................................... 5
7 Good reasons to attend: the ones to put to senior management ................................................ 7
10 Types of people who should attend .......................................................................................... 7
4 reasons to take pupils to Bett ..................................................................................................... 8
5 Reasons to take a technician or technically-minded person with you .......................................... 9
2 Reasons to take a non-technical person ...................................................................................... 9
15 events to attend ....................................................................................................................... 9
My 6 personal recommendations for BETT 2014 .......................................................................... 12
4 Things which are not ideal – and what you might do about them .............................................. 12
25 Things to do before Bett ......................................................................................................... 14
21 Things to do on the day........................................................................................................... 16
4 Ways to connect on social media .............................................................................................. 19
7 Things to do on a one day visit .................................................................................................. 19
Who has the budget? .................................................................................................................. 19
8 Sample questions to ask suppliers ............................................................................................. 20
10 points to address when presenting your case for purchasing a product or service ................... 20
5 Things to consider regarding seminars ...................................................................................... 21
8 Things to do after the show ...................................................................................................... 21
7 Ways to voice your own thoughts about Bett 2014 ................................................................... 22
2 Ways to have your students blog about Bett ............................................................................. 22
4 Other great sources of advice about Bett .................................................................................. 22
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 23
Floor plan .................................................................................................................................... 23
Copyright etc
This work is (c) 2014 Terry Freedman, and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-ncsa/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA.
You may use and rework bits from this document for non-commercial purposes, but please acknowledge the source.
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(c) 2014 Terry Freedman www.ictineducation.org

4.
The right of Terry Freedman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with
the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988.
Published by Terry Freedman Ltd for ICT in Education in Great Britain.
Visit www.ictineducation.org for articles on computing and ICT in education.
Acknowledgements
I should like to thank Mango Marketing for their information and assistance in the preparation of this guide. They
are a fantastic bunch, really helpful and pleasant to talk to. They may be found in the press office at the Bett Show.
Also, i2i Events for the floor pan (via Mango Marketing).
Introduction
January 2014 sees the annual, and ever-expanding, Bett Show in London. This will be its 30th anniversary. (On a
personal note, I have to say I find it slightly disconcerting to reflect that some people who will be attending Bett this
time won’t have even been born when it started.)
This will also mark its second year in the Excel centre in east London – for many years it was hosted in Olympia, in
west London, and before that, the Barbican. (See Education Technology and ICT at Bett: Big changes for 2013.)
I mention these facts because it is an indication of the growth of the importance of Bett that, over the years, it has
outgrown these iconic venues. Last year, for example, it attracted 35,000 visitors, from all over the world. Indeed,
Bett remains the largest event of its kind anywhere.
So what exactly is Bett, and should you go? Well, to be pedantic, Bett is an acronym for “British Education and
Training Technology”. Nobody uses the actual phrase any more; in fact, I just had to look “Bett” up to remind myself
of what it stood for.
Bett is a huge exhibition, with seminars and presentations playing a supporting role. That is the theory, anyway. In
practice, it would be very easy indeed to visit Bett and see almost nothing of the exhibition stands. All it requires is
attendance at two or three seminars, a couple of snack breaks, and a meeting or two, and the time has gone. For
that very reason, I tend to visit on at least two of the four days that the Bett show lasts. It’s exhausting, but it’s the
only way I can get to see all the things I’d like to.
Visitors to Bett don’t so much visit one event for several days but, in effect, several events, each lasting for one day.
It therefore lacks the sense of cohesion of a conference, even a very large one such as the ISTE Conference in the
USA.
On the other hand, comparing these single days with other one-day events would also be misleading. A one day
conference usually caters for a relatively small number of people (perhaps 100 or so at the most), and has a
restricted number of alternative options – if any.
Is any of this relevant? I think it is, because if you have never been before the vastness of it could come as a shock.
Planning is, I think, essential, even if it’s a fairly loose plan like “Morning: seminar; afternoon: exhibition”.
I should also add that part of the planning is deciding why you’re going. For example, it could be to check out the
latest technology, hear some speakers or to have a meeting with a specific person or company – or all three.
Furthermore, the nature of Bett does, as far as I am concerned, provide justification for asking for two or more days
out of school (or wherever you happen to work).
In this, the latest version of my annual unofficial Bett guide, I’ve introduced even more sections, which I hope you
find useful. They are:

Reasons to take pupils to Bett
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Sample questions to ask suppliers
Reasons to take a technical colleague
Reasons to take a non-technical colleague
How to organise your time if you can attend for only one day
Who has the budget?
Ways to connect on social media
Things to consider regarding seminars
Points to address when presenting your case for purchasing a product or service.
One final point before we get started: I am not sponsored or paid by anyone connected with Bett to produce this
guide. I started it a few years ago because I thought it would be a good idea, and feedback from people who have
used this has continually confirmed that that is indeed the case.
16 Reasons to attend
It’s often difficult to get time out of school to attend a conference, but I think that if you can get to only one
professional development a year in England then Bett should be a priority. Some people dismiss it as a trade show,
the main reason for whose existence is to sell you stuff. Whilst the hard sell is certainly in evidence, I don’t see that
as a reason not to go. After all, you may see something you didn’t know existed, or find out more about something
you thought you already knew about. And in any case, you are not obliged to actually buy anything, or even to listen
to someone trying to sell you something (just smile and walk away.).
But there are also those seminars I’ve mentioned, and other aspects.
There are at least 16 good reasons to attend, these being to:
Hear some big name speakers for free
For example, this year, get to the Bett Arena early enough on the Friday and you’ll be able to listen to a talk by Lord
David Puttnam.
See what’s new or coming soon
Bett often features prototypes of new products, or proofs of concept. In 2011, for example, there was a lot of 3Drelated stuff. This is now, of course, becoming mainstream.
Not all of the things on display find themselves being produced, so you have to be careful of the hardware
equivalent of “vapourware”, but it can still give a pretty good indication of where things are heading.
Inform your financial planning
Had you seen 3D printers at Bett a few years ago you would have been able to see at first hand what they could do,
attended a talk or two about how they were starting to be used by some teachers, and obtained the details of some
companies in that field. That knowledge would have enabled you to draw up a capital spending plan/proposal that
included the use of 3D printing, to present to your senior leadership team.
Inform your strategic planning
This is slightly different to the preceding point. I am referring here to outlining trends in technology and pedagogy.
You may not have been in a position, a few years ago, to argue the case for spending money on 3D printers, but you
would have been able to describe the potential benefits of this sort of technology. Now, a few years later, when the
prices have come down to the extent that a 3D printer is an affordable item rather than a luxury one, you would be
in a good position to ask for money to buy one, having already sown the seeds from an educational benefits point of
view.
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See new products demonstrated
Seeing a product in action, even if only for a few minutes, is often more useful than only reading about it in the
product catalogue – especially if it’s a brand new item.
Attend product launches
Bett is the place where companies launch new products, and it’s always nice to see them unveiled, perhaps with a
drink and a snack.
Attend specialised talks
Some companies run sessions on their stands, outside the official programme of seminars. It’s worth looking up the
exhibitors you wish to visit (if you know in advance), to see if they are doing something like this. To do so, look at the
Exhibitor area on the Bett website.
Attend training sessions, eg on how use a particular aspect of a program
Training sessions are run on product stands. They are demonstrations rather than hands-on learning opportunities,
but can nevertheless be very valuable.
Attend a seminar, eg on personalised learning, given by experts in their fields
There’s a wide range of topics being talked about, as you can see for yourself by looking at the Learn Live
programme.
Attend a parallel conference
See below.
Arrange one-on-one meetings with (potential) suppliers
Many of the larger suppliers have rooms available where you can arrange to meet to discuss your requirements. If
not, there are several cafés just outside the exhibition hall.
Have opportunities for networking
It never does any harm to make contact with like-minded people.
Pick up the latest Government or other official publications
It’s useful to be able to see what’s available, in case you missed it, but you may want to make a note of where you
can download it from rather than carrying loads of stuff home. Note that the DfE does not have a stand at the Bett
show, but some exhibitors may have publications containing details of particular aspects of government policy.
Pick up new ideas
I find that you have to really scrutinise the Bett programme. Don’t just look at the seminar programmes, but the
exhibitor list as well.
But do look through the whole exhibitor list because you might spot an interesting-looking company you haven’t
come across before.
Attend the “fringe” events
See 15 events to attend below.
Become (re-)energised and stimulated from the “buzz”
Although Bett is physically tiring it is also good for giving one’s enthusiasm a big boost.
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7 Good reasons to attend: the ones to put to senior management
All of the reasons to attend that I’ve suggested above are valid, but they are personal, in a sense. That is to say, it is
not obvious from looking at the list how your school will benefit from your attendance at Bett. So here are 7
suggested arguments in your favour:
Best value
If you are considering major new purchases, such as tablets or managed services, you really ought to look at all the
product options available.
Find the suppliers
Bett isn’t really the kind of place you can talk business if you’re meeting a supplier for the first time, but it’s a good
place to start if you want to find out who the suppliers of a particular product or service are, with a view to meeting
with them later or, say, inviting them to submit a tender for work.
Meet the suppliers
If you already know the supplier you may be able to arrange to meet with them at Bett in order to discuss a
particular concern you have, or simply to reinforce the personal contact by having a chat combined with a perhaps
more in-depth look at new products or features than would normally be offered to visitors to their stand. The
benefits of this sort of personal contact may be difficult to quantify on a balance sheet, but they tend to manifest
themselves in ways like enjoying a faster response time to queries or, if there’s a problem, having a named contact
who actually knows you, and who perhaps can cut through the red tape on your behalf.
Show prices
Exhibitors at Bett often have special show prices, which are lower than their usual rates. It may be worth attending
the show to take advantage of such discounts.
Professional development
By attending seminars and talking to people on the stands, you will find out ways of improving what you do, which
can only benefit your workplace.
News update
Finding out about the latest technology and the latest thinking will put you in a prime position to advise the school in
a hot-off-the-press way.
Networking
Meeting other people doing a similar job is always a good idea in my experience. It’s useful for picking up fresh ideas
and learning of people, organisations or resources you may not have come across before.
You can bolster your case by ensuring, as far as possible, that any potential inconvenience to others is minimised, eg
by attending on a day or days when you have fewer teaching commitments, if possible.
10 Types of people who should attend
Educational Technology leaders
I think this is, to coin a phrase, a no-brainer. I am using the term “educational technology leader” to cover the whole
panoply of roles, such as e-Learning Director, ICT Co-ordinator, Head of Computing and so on.
Educational Technology teachers
Again, I think this is a no-brainer.
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Student and trainee teachers
I think if we want the teaching workforce to become ever more “switched on” then attending Bett to see what’s
going on and what people are doing with the technology is an absolute must. It can be a real eye-opener.
Teachers of subjects other than ICT
You don’t have to teach ICT in order to attend Bett, because most if not all subjects are covered.
Also, it’s useful to know what new products and services are available which you may find useful in your teaching.
Other teachers in your department or team
If you work in an ICT team, there’s a good case for the school allowing others in your team to attend as well. The
more who go, the more scope you have for dividing Bett between you. For example, one could attend a seminar,
while another looks at software. Similarly, more seminars can be covered between you.
It may be better for the school if different people attended on different days. However, an advantage of everyone
going on the same day is that people tend to talk on the way home about what they have learnt. In other words,
they usually end up doing more work than they might otherwise have done – which should please the Headteacher
or Principal.
Technicians and other support staff
If you are to have a shared vision for educational ICT in your school, it is essential for support staff to be included in
professional development opportunities, especially Bett.
For example, let’s assume that you are in the market for a virtual resources centre. Technical staff can ask the sorts
of questions that affect the underlying robustness of the hardware. For example, is it easy to create resources, is it
easy to back them up? What about the transition from your current VLE (if you have one) to the new Virtual
resources centre? Is it easy to give different people different levels of access?
Classroom assistants
Similarly, classroom assistants can ask the sort of practical questions that you may not think of. For example, is it
easy to change the cartridges in this new printer – especially when there is a class full of kids milling around?
Senior teachers
Again, taking the example of looking for a new virtual resources centre, they can ask questions which concern them,
such as “How easy is it to get reports on individual students’ usage of the resources across a range of subjects?”
Policy makers
It’s not unheard of for people in senior leadership positions (not only in schools but other organisations) to make
decisions based on an outdated or incomplete view of what technology is available for schools, and how it is being
used. They would find spending a day or two at Bett useful, I’m sure.
Pupils
If possible, you should bring pupils along for a day, for the following reasons:
4 reasons to take pupils to Bett
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

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Given that they are going to be the main users of most of the stuff you look at and may buy, it makes sound
commercial sense to include them in the procurement process – including this research stage. (I picked up
this tip from Stephen Heppell, who will be at the Bett show again – see below.)
Most, if not all, pupils who attend Bett find it very exciting to see the new technology available.
You can have them write about it or, even better, blog about the experience.
You could use them as researchers, in the sense of both looking for and at products and services, and
interviewing exhibitors and visitors for podcasts, video podcasts or blog posts.
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Obviously, make sure you follow all the appropriate procedures for taking kids out of school. I would suggest that
even if you are in a single sex school and intending to take only a handful of pupils to Bett, that you are accompanied
by at least one other appropriate adult.
5 Reasons to take a technician or technically-minded person with you
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They can ask key questions relating to compatibility with existing products.
They can see right through “technobabble”.
They understand the infrastructure requirements.
You’re less likely to purchase solely on the basis of wishful thinking. This point ties in with the one
immediately above. For example, those lovely high-spec tablets you have your eye on may not work very
well with the school’s current wi-fi set-up.
If a technical colleague attends the show then it enables you to go to non-technical talks. In short, both
parties benefit by being able to concern themselves with the things they are best at.
2 Reasons to take a non-technical person


To remind yourself of the overall vision and “big picture”: X may not be the best product/service from a
specifications point of view, but may be the most optimum in the context of the school’s aims.
To enable you to look at the more technical aspects of a product or service.
15 events to attend
There are several parallel conferences and other events going on at Bett, so if you don’t want to attend any of the
Learn Live seminars or visit the exhibition area all the time, one of these (or parts of several of them) may appeal to
you.
I’ve not distinguished fringe events from mainstream events this year because the fringe ones have been going for so
long that they are mainstream now.
Please note: you have to register for some events, so do check the links given below in advance.
Bett Arena
This is a huge lecture theatre, in the round, where keynote speakers give talks. I have to say that last year it
reminded me of a Roman amphitheatre. Fortunately, nobody was thrown to the lions. Keynote speakers this year
include Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Lord David Puttnam. See the Bett Arena page for details.
Heppell.net
At the time of writing this guide, there isn’t a lot of detail about this series of events run by Professor Stephen
Heppell. In previous years, he has had lots of school children demonstrating what they can do. Check the Heppell.net
page for details as they become available.
Intel education
Intel’s education solutions, featuring real-life examples and case studies.
http://www.bettshow.com/Content/Intel-Education-at-Bett-2014
Learn Live
This is the main body of talks, covering a range of issues. The speakers are, for the main part, experts in ICT and
Computing. Many are teachers.
I’ll be chairing a panel discussion about assessment, on the Thursday at 2:30 called “Measuring what matters”, it will
feature expert panellists who will give their views briefly before throwing the whole thing open to the floor. By the
way, it’s in Theatre 3. I mention this just in case the link to the seminar changes between now and then.
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I’ve written an article about it on the ICT in Education website: Assessing “soft” skills.
The esteemed panel will comprise, in alphabetical order, the following people:
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Professor Margaret Cox, Professor of Information Technology in Education in The Dental Institute and The
Department for Education and Professional Studies: King's College London
Megan Power, Teacher
Sacha Van Straten, Head of Digital Literacy
Jonathan Bishop, Headteacher
Paul Hutton, Consultant
Crispin Weston, Consultant and “controversialist”
See the Learn Live page for details of all the seminars.
MirandaNet Unconference
Some interesting talks and discussions are going on in the afternoons, in the MirandaNet Lounge, Gallery Room 4.
These take the form of “Mirandamods”, which are a type of seminar involving both physical and virtual participants.
Topics include MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses), games-based learning and video for learning. I’ll be chairing
the Games one.
See the programme for details.
Dr Christina Preston writes:
MirandaNet Fellows invite colleagues to join us in the MirandaNet Lounge; Gallery Suite 4, to participate at the start
of the 2014 programme of MirandaMods where an invited panel will discuss key educational topics. The
MirandaMods will be streamed live using Google Hangouts on Air and recorded to YouTube for later viewing. In
2014 the debates follow the interests of members who are setting up MirandaNet action research groups. Is there
one for you?
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MOOCs: design, delivery and impact on the education industry;
Mobile connections and the school culture;
The value of games in learning;
The Impact of web-based video on professional development and pupil behaviour;
Using social media in careers advice;
Coding in the Computing Curriculum;
World Ecitizens: teachers from around the world talking about their practice in digital technologies.
At each MirandaMod face to face or online you can sign up to research groups meeting afterwards. In 2014 these
groups of educators will be publishing their collaborative research results, past and present, on international MESH
pathways. This research evidence we will be using globally to impact on policy makers like doctors do through their
Cochrane review. if you have some research you want to publicise, you want to learn something from others in your
field and/or you want to start a new action research project sign up now.
Places for the MirandaMods, face to face and online are limited so register as soon as you can today..
You can register for the individual sessions at http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/org/5446600173
Nasen conference
This takes place on the Thursday. Details:
http://www.bettshow.com/Content/nasen-Annual-Leadership-Conference-2014
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Scandinavia@Bett
For the Friday only, a glimpse at what they’re doing over in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
Details on the Scandinavia@Bett page.
School leaders’ summit
There’s an interesting range of talks aimed at leaders. Many are not specifically concerned with ICT though. See the
School Leaders Summit page and follow the link to the list of seminars for details.
Speed learning
After a short keynote, attendees select a session to attend. Sessions take place at tables, and comprise a brief
introduction to a topic followed by a discussion. Sounds very much like the highly successful Collabor8 for Change
event I was involved in a couple of years ago, so it should be good: it’s a format that works quite well.
At the time of writing this guide there is a paucity of details about sessions, but you can find out more by emailing
Fiona Aubrey-Smith. More details on the Speed Learning page.
Teachmeet
Teachers and others sign up in the hope of being selected to give a 2 minute or 5 minute talk, on the Friday evening.
This year it is, as last year, being organised by Drew Buddy, known to many as @digitalmaverick, and others. This is
an event that you can speak at to share what you’re doing, and hear what other people are doing. It’s a fantastic
opportunity for networking in a friendly environment. See the Teachmeet page for details, and to sign up to give a
talk. (If you hate public speaking, you can opt to do a 2 minute talk; even the 7 minute option is not too terrible.
Note that you will have to obtain a ticket through the Eventbrite link given on the Teachmeet page. Tickets are
released in batches, and they tend to go quite quickly.
Teachmeet takeover
This is a feature of Bett in which some companies make time available on their stands for short presentations by
teachers throughout the show. See the Teachmeet Takeover page, where you can sign up to do a short talk or
presentation.
Technology in Higher Education Conference
Aimed at people involved in universities and colleges. See the Technology in HE page for details.
UKTI seminars
UKTI is concerned with trade and investment in the UK. This 4 day conference seems to be about commercial
opportunities and education in different countries.
http://www.bettshow.com/Content/UKTI-Seminars
Video conferencing for learning
A series of 30 minute seminars on the Friday. Full details here:
http://www.bettshow.com/Content/Video-Conferencing-for-Learning
Workplace Learning conference
I think the name of this conference is misleading in a way. It sounds like it’s all about vocational training, but in fact
there are sessions on leadership, improving brain function and expectations in a digital age, to name just a few. See
the Workplace Learning page for details.
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My 6 personal recommendations for BETT 2014
I’m not sure this is a great idea, because it’s very much a personal view, but here are a few seminar sessions I like the
look of at Bett this year.
Wednesday
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
How to Teach Computer Programming. 15:30 Theatre 3
MirandaNet MirandaMod on Games, which I’m chairing. 16:30 MirandaNet Lounge; Gallery Suite 4
Thursday

Next Generation Content: Utilising video conferencing across the Curriculum to connect securely with
experts and industry 12:30 Bett Arena
Technology & Learning panel discussion I’m chairing on assessing “soft” skills 14:30 Theatre 3

Friday

National Curriculum 2014 and the future of assessment: Your chance to innovate
Read more:
http://www.bettshow.com/page.cfm/action=seminar/libID=1/libEntryID=149#ixzz2qYjXWKvJ
This seminar is being given by Pete Yeomans.

Open Badges: A new way to recognise and credential achievement 12:30 Theatre 2
As I said, these are all personal preferences.
4 Things which are not ideal – and what you might do about them
Generally I like Bett, but there are a few things I’m concerned about this year. In the spirit of being a critical friend,
here they are:
Has Bett lost its focus?
Lord David Puttnam and Sir Ranulph Fiennes are featured, as already mentioned. I know that the application of
technology is potentially very broad, but I wonder if Bett is trying to be all things to all people?
I’ve noticed that this happens in a lot of cases, and not just conferences. Something is created that fills a niche, and
then it starts to grow and grow far beyond its original raison d’être.
I suppose that in the case of Bett this expansion reflects what’s happening in the world of education and beyond.
Technology is becoming ever smaller, cheaper, more powerful and, therefore, ubiquitous. I think it’s fair to say that
when Bett started 30 years ago it was very much aimed at a relatively small group of people, mainly IT Co-ordinators
and the like.
Well, things have changed. If you don’t like it, there’s something you can do about it on a personal level. That is to
focus only on the elements of Bett which appear to be aimed specifically at you and your role. For example, if you
are an ICT Co-ordinator you could simply ignore all the Further and Higher education stuff, and some of the workrelated learning. This will make Bett easier to manage, but you will run the risk of missing out on some useful
information and the “bigger picture”.
Is there too much choice?
This is an extension of the first point, to some extent. There are so many things going on at the same time that it’s
impossible to see and do all the things you might want to. That has always been the case, but now it seems worse.
In the short term, the only thing you can do, I think, is to be very focused in your visit. In the longer term, you could
express your preference for a different approach by contacting the organisers (see the contact details at the bottom
of http://www.bettshow.com/), writing about it on your blog (if you have one) or in other social media, or
completing my Bett Review form.
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The wrong strands?
I think part of the problem is that there are some talks on similar themes going on at the same time, or at
overlapping times, under different headings. For example, there are several talks about assessment. Instead of
“Leadership” and “Workplace” strands, why not organise the seminars by topic, but colour-coded to indicate the
intended audience?
I suggested this last year, and was told it would be too difficult to do. I don’t think it’s an insurmountable problem
though. I did a similar thing, albeit on a smaller scale, when I helped to organise the Collabor8 4 Change event a
couple of years ago.
As for what you might do about it, if you agree with me, see the preceding point.
Seminar listings
This is related to the preceding point. The seminars are listed according to day, venue and event, as far as I can tell.
As you can see from the screenshot below, you choose the general sector of the seminars you want to attend, which
is logical enough. But if you are interested in school-related seminars, you have to start by selecting which venue you
want to go to, eg Theatre 1. This has a certain logic, but unfortunately is not the way most people think. The Schools’
seminars should all be listed in one table. In fact, it would be a lot easier and quicker to plan one’s day if all the
seminars were listed by day and time: who cares about the venue?
The Bett app (see below) helps a bit, but the situation is not ideal.
The solution is to click on one of the venues, eg Theatre 1, and use the Search facility. Type in a keyword, and clear
the “Theatre” field. This is pretty efficient, as illustrated below:
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This will also work if you start by selecting one of the “Summits”, such as the School Leaders Summit. Click on the
Summit in which you’re interested, click on the “View all sessions...” link, and then you’ll see the search section.
25 Things to do before Bett
Although I've written the following with Bett in mind, most of the points will apply to getting ready to go to any
conference.
Book in advance
Register online. Doing so will save you time when you get there.
Specially for visitors…
If you are coming from abroad, but also if you live in the UK but outside London, have a look at the “Getting there”
page for travel and accommodation information and FAQs. (Hover the mouse over the Getting There menu on the
main Bett page to see the range of sub-menus available.)
Look into travel cards and Oyster
Top up your Oyster card if you have one, or look into travel cards and Oyster.
Download the Bett app
It’s on the Home page, and contains details of all the sessions. It’s pretty good, in that it contains details of all the
events, and directories of exhibitors etc.
I think it would have been even better if it enabled you to personalise it by entering events in your calendar, and if it
had included this guide. Still, it’s a big improvement on having to walk around with a huge tome to find out what’s
on and where.
And it’s free.
Read the new Bett Blog
The posts there give a bit more information about aspects of the event. Most of the people who have an article
posted there (including myself) are independent of Bett as far as I know.
Read the Bett Digital publications
See the list of digital publications for details.
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The Bett Update has quite a lot of information in it.
School leaders and ICT leaders may find Bett Leaders useful too.
Use Twitter for news
You can keep with news by following Bett on Twitter: @Bett_Show, and searching for #Bett_Show. I’ve been using
the tags Bett, Bett Show and Bett2014 in my blog posts and sometimes, like others, #Bett_Show and #Bett14 on
Twitter. But the official hashtag is #Bett2014.
Check out who else will be going
Oliver Quinlan has created a Google document on which you can list the day(s) you will be attending and what you’d
be interested in discussing with others. Obviously you can also see who else has entered their details. Link:
bit.ly/bett14rollcall.
Work out how to get there
See the online directions.
Print (or buy) a set of business cards
These are essential for entering competitions and, more importantly, for having information sent to you after the
show. Also, of course, for exchanging details with any new acquaintanceships you make at the show. You can create
a simple business card in Word (or similar), and you can buy perforated business card printer paper at a very
reasonable price.
Buy a set of good quality business cards
I have never really understood the idea of having cheap business cards to give to other people. In my opinion, cheap
business cards feel cheap. They’re fine for putting into boxes or jars for a prize draw, but not to represent yourself to
other people.
Your business card represents you. Do you really want to convey the impression, however subliminally, that you
don’t consider yourself worth investing a bit of money in?
Buy a business card holder
Taking a card out of a proper holder looks a bit more professional than fishing an old dog-eared one of your purse or
back pocket. It gives you a decent place to store others’ cards too.
Buy a small stapler
This is useful for stapling your business cards to various forms on stands, such as the ones they provide for entering
competitions. For some reason, exhibitors never seem to have a stapler themselves – must be a health and safety
rule. Completing the same contact information over and over again is tedious and time-consuming – and in my case
pointless because my handwriting is illegible.
Buy a notebook
I always carry a notebook and pen around with me, because I find it easier to make quick notes in the old-fashioned
way than trying to thumb out a note to myself on my phone. However, I am not quite living in the dark ages in this
respect though: I tend to use a Livescribe pocket notebook and pen.
Compile a stationery kit
This is probably not really necessary unless you intend to stay over and make loads of notes, but I’ll offer it anyway.
When I was an Ofsted inspector I put together such a “kit” so I could work on the train, in school and in the hotel,
annotating documents. Almost invariably, such tasks had to be done on paper, so I found having post-it notes,
highlighters and other bits and pieces like elastic bands, paper clips and, yes, that stapler again, pretty handy.
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But the thing is, at Bett, you might as well pick up a load of post-it notes, notebooks and pens while you’re there.
And as for paper clips etc, exactly how much paper do you intend collecting?
Buy a good capacity USB stick
Sometimes someone will offer to let you have a document or presentation. If you have a USB stick with you they
may be able to give it to you right away rather than emailing it later.
Buy a good capacity memory card
If, for example, your camera takes an SD card, you ought really to take a spare one along if you intend taking lots of
video clips.
Buy a spare battery
For your camera, for instance, if you haven’t already got one.
Make lists
Prepare lists of questions to ask the suppliers of particular products, if you are looking to purchase something.
Different members of your team may have different questions, as suggested elsewhere: see 8 Sample questions to
ask suppliers.
Do some team planning
With your team, decide on who is going to do what (if others are going as well). It is a good idea to avoid the
temptation to fill every waking moment. I have found that you need to allow for serendipity, especially as some
exhibitors are not listed until the last minute. I have also found that every so often you need to find a place to have
coffee, think about what you have seen, plan ahead, and get rid of any unwanted paper you may have acquired on
your travels.
Organise cover lessons if necessary
If technicians will be attending as well, try and select a day when the school’s computer facilities tend not to be in
high demand, just in case something goes wrong. You should still ensure that at least one stays behind though.
Compile contact details
Prepare a list of phone numbers that the school secretary or someone else can contact for help if something
dreadful happens.
Think of your feet
Buy comfortable shoes if you don’t already have a pair. Walking around all day on a thick carpet on a concrete floor
is no joke.
Make a note of web access details
If you have the facility to do things like upload pictures from your phone to a website, or send an SMS to your blog in
order to publish it as a blog post, make sure you have learnt or written down the access details you need.
Find out my personal recommendations
See My 6 personal recommendations for BETT 2014.
An essential…
On the way to the show, buy a bottle of water, because show prices tend to be higher than outside.
21 Things to do on the day
Here are 21 suggestions for getting the most out of the experience. Now includes Freedman’s Rule of Free products
and paid-for products.
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Check public transport
Check the TFL website every day before travelling, in case there are known delays.
Think of your feet (again)
Wear shoes with cushioned soles: the floor is concrete and therefore very tiring to walk on for a whole day.
Make sure you receive messages
Put your phone on vibrate if you can: in my experience, you can't hear your phone ringing above the noise.
Be prepared
It’s a bit of a pain, but take with you whatever chargers you need (eg for your phone) – especially if you’re staying
over.
Start by sitting down…
As soon as you have passed through the entrance, find somewhere to sit, and look through the bag you will have
been given. Remove any unwanted paper, and then look to see if there are any last-minute exhibitor entries, in case
there are one or two that you ought to visit. Then get your bearings.
Prioritise your time
Aim to visit the most important exhibitors on your list first, in case you get waylaid or get too tired to continue.
Attend the opening keynote if possible
If you attend Bett on the Wednesday, ie on the first day of the show, it may be worth trying to attend the opening
keynote. The show is officially opened by a Government minister, who may announce new funding (unlikely these
days.) or a new development.
This year Bett is being opened by Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Education in England. This takes place at
10:45 in the Bett Arena on the Wednesday. I think it will be interesting to hear what he has to say about ICT. You
never know, he may even announce more funding, eg for professional development.
Meet up with others
See Check out who else will be going.
Don’t dismiss the exhibitors
Some teachers have an unfortunate tendency to display a bit of an arrogant attitude towards exhibitors. While there
are undoubtedly some exhibitors who see education as fertile ground for easy pickings, in my experience most are
not like that. Many have been teachers themselves, and all of them will have consulted, and had their products
tested by, teachers before coming to market. So they probably have more experience of what works in the
classroom, albeit indirectly, than you might think.
In any case, it’s the exhibitors who make Bett possible in the first place. If you think they’re beneath you somehow,
that says more about you than it does about them, and you may like to read Pete Yeoman’s “No such thing as free”
for his (rather angry) take on this. In fact, read it even if you’re not like that because it’s a good read and spot on.
Think of your arms and your back
Do not collect loads of information: it weighs a lot after a while. That’s where your business cards come in: give them
to exhibitors you are interested in, and ask them to send you information after the show.
Don’t become a delivery person
Don’t collect loads of information on behalf of other teachers. I did that for years and as far as I know not one person
did anything different as a result. In fact, it was probably counter-productive because that sort of thing conveys the
impression that you are just a glorified mailman.
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Pick up some water
If you get thirsty, look out for free water which may be provided on some stands.
A question to always ask
When you strike up a conversation with someone, or meet up with colleagues, always ask: “What have you seen
today that has excited you?” And then follow up on their suggestions.
Take photos
I always carry a camera around with me in order to take photos of products to remind me of them later, take photos
of slides in seminars, and take general photos with which to illustrate blog articles. I carry a camera as well as a
phone because (a) the photos are a better quality and (b) it means I keep my phone charged for a while longer.
Take videos
This suggestion isn’t mine. I think it was made by someone at Brainpop, if I understood Russell Prue correctly the
year before last. Take videos of products and product demonstrations. I think a potential extension of this is to
interview people about what they’ve seen, but you would obviously need to obtain their written permission to
publish the results. I did this last year, and you can see the results on my YouTube channel.
You could even video parts of the event just to give colleagues and students a taste of what it’s like.
Drop the plan
At some point in the day, forget your careful planning and wander around. You will be surprised at what you come
across that hasn’t been listed in any brochure. For example, good prices on some items, new publications, and
companies you have never heard of.
Pick up freebies
Pick up free copies of educational technology magazines – but bear in mind that some are little more than
collections of advertisements.
As well as the usual sorts of freebies like mugs and sets of pens, mouse mats and notepads, there are often more
useful ones. Some stands may have useful documentation available on USB sticks as well as paper.
If you are staying to the end, and you have deposited a coat in the cloakroom, collect it about an hour before the
end of the show, to avoid a long wait. That means around 5pm Wednesday to Friday, and 3pm on the Saturday.
The next two points are especially relevant if you are attending for more than one day, or have team members
attending on different days to yourself.
Be on the grapevine
Find out what others thought about products and events seen at the show. Use the tags Bett_Show, Bett14 and
Bett2014 for blog posts, and those tags with a # in front of them on Twitter. But see the Social media section below
as well.
Use Twitter
On the subject of Twitter, many of us have recommended that people’s Twitter name be included on the badge, but
it isn’t unfortunately. So write it on yourself.
You can use Twitter for arranging impromptu meetings with people by tweeting something like “Anyone fancy a
coffee and a chat at X?”
Refrain from buying
An odd thing to suggest, at first glance, but before signing on any dotted line in order to enjoy a “special show price”,
take time afterwards to check out alternatives. For example, I imagine quite a few companies will be launching new
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schemes of work or lesson resources, but there are quite a few free ones available, so it’s worth taking the time to
do a proper evaluation of the various options available.
Arrange to have a free trial or free samples
This is the corollary of the preceding point: do ask for samples or a free trial so that you can fully compare the
commercial product with its free alternatives.
Freedman’s Rule of Free products and paid-for products:
Not everything that’s good is free, and not everything that’s free is good.
Corollary:
Just because something has a price doesn’t make it good quality.
Find out what I’m seeing and thinking about the show
Check the ICT in Education website for news and reviews about the show.
4 Ways to connect on social media
Twitter
The Bett Twitter name is @bett_show. The official tag is #bett2014, but some people prefer #bett14, as it’s slightly
shorter.
Facebook
Here’s the Bett Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bett_Show/171806589539248?fref=ts
LinkedIn
At the time of writing, the link seemed to be not working. There is a LinkedIn group called Bett London, which was
last updated officially in 2012, and a Bett Awards 2014 group. Some people have started discussions about
educational technology in the latter group.
YouTube
The Bett YouTube link is http://www.youtube.com/user/bettshow
7 Things to do on a one day visit
If you’re a first time visitor to Bett, it can be a bit overwhelming. If you can only attend for one day, the amount of
choice available makes the whole event seem even more daunting. Here are 7 suggestions about how to get the best
out of Bett in just one day.
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Look at the exhibition stands.
If you’re looking for a specific type of product, plan the most ergonomic route in advance and visit the
relevant stands first.
Attend a seminar.
Attend another seminar. But bear in mind that most seminars last for 45 minutes, and you need to allow
time to get to them. This is not easy when the hall is packed full of people.
Whiz round the whole hall if you have time.
Network as much as you can.
Put your business card into prize draws.
Who has the budget?
According to recent research by the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), “there is an indication that
schools (especially academies) are moving control of budgets back to the centre.” The research found that:
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19% of primary academies do not disseminate any of their teaching materials budget;
15% of primary academies disseminate none of their print or digital content budget.
The research goes on to say:
When it comes to teaching materials and equipment budgets (excluding books) it is clear that most head teachers
disseminate purchasing responsibility to subject leaders and departments. The exception ... is primary academies.
There is an indication that head teachers in these newly-formed academies are holding on to responsibility for
spending in this category of products.
Here are some more statistics:
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Primary academies disseminate 43% of their teaching materials budget to teachers;
The equivalent figure for secondary academies is 83%;
Primary non-academies disseminate 80% of the teaching materials budget down to teachers;
The equivalent figure for non-secondary academies is 63%.
From “Procurement in Authority Schools and Academies”, BESA, August 2013.
8 Sample questions to ask suppliers
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What does it do?
Does it do X, where “X” is a broad functional specification. (Eg, “Will it enable all pupils to use the printer
from any device?”)
What does it cost?
What online and/or phone help is available?
Can you provide me with details of three reference sites?
What is the interoperability/compatibility of this product with other products we already have (eg the
information management system your school uses)?
What are the minimum hardware/infrastructure/operating system/software requirements for this product
to work?
What is your fix time, ie the time you take to sort a problem out? NB: Do not ask what their response time is,
because that tells you nothing. You could receive an automated response immediately, but not receive
actual assistance for several days.
10 points to address when presenting your case for purchasing a product or service
If you work in a school where the budget is controlled centrally, you will need to think carefully about how to
present the case for spending money on ICT-related products and services. Here are a few suggestions:
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Find out as much as you can about the product, what it does, best value suppliers and so on – see the
section above for questions to ask suppliers. Make sure these findings are included in your submission to the
senior leadership team or Headteacher.
Bear in mind the difference between features and benefits. Features are what the product does; benefits
answers the “so what?” question. How will buying this product benefit the pupils/teachers/parents/school?
How would the purchase help to address the school’s ICT strategy?
How would the purchase help to address the school’s vision and overall policy?
How would the purchase address a shortcoming identified by Ofsted?
How would the purchase enable the school to address the needs of disadvantage groups within the school?
How would the purchase help to improve parental engagement?
How would the purchase help to enhance school-community working?
How would the purchase enable the ICT/Computing staff to do their job more effectively?
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5 Things to consider regarding seminars
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Is the topic relevant to you and your professional goals?
What makes the speaker qualified to talk on the subject?
Is the speaker trying to sell you something? Nothing wrong with that, but it would have been better if the
seminar description had made it clear that that would be likely.
What is the speaker’s situation? For example, suppose the talk is about how Method X of teaching computer
programming, and Method X sounds brilliant. It might be useful to know if the speaker has one day off
timetable a week and a budget of £10k per annum.
Have you learnt anything genuinely useful? I was going to write “new”, but actually even old stuff can be
useful because it’s easy to forget things you used to know. And sometimes even mundane and obvious
things need stating.
8 Things to do after the show
There is always a danger that no matter how good an event is, it will turn out to have very little impact in the longer
term, as you forget what you saw and more pressing concerns vie for your attention. Here are 8 suggestions for
preventing that from happening.
Meet your team
(If you have one.) Arrange a team meeting for as soon as possible after the show. Have each team member say what
three things most excited them, and three new ideas they picked up, plus what needs to change in your current
practice. OK, “three” is an arbitrary and artificial number, but you get the idea.
Plan ahead
Draw up an action plan for following up. That may take the form of arranging visits to other schools, or
demonstrations from suppliers, or introducing some new ideas into your lesson plans.
Meet the leaders
Arrange a meeting with the Headteacher or other senior leader as soon as possible after your team meeting. The aim
is to discuss with them what you learnt at the show that may impact what you are doing, or the school’s plans. If you
discover that you are ahead of the game and don’t need to change anything at all for the time being, that is in itself
an outcome that needs to be conveyed to your boss.
Make sure that you are well-prepared for the meeting, especially if you will be suggesting changes in what the school
does, or you wish to ask for extra funding.
Also take into consideration whether your boss is a shoot-the-messenger type, if you need to report back on a new –
and unwelcome – Government direction.
Give feedback
Give feedback to the rest of the staff on any key messages you picked up from the show. This is as much for
diplomatic reasons as anything else: for some reason, there are people who believe that spending 12 hours travelling
and walking around all day along with thousands of other people is the equivalent of a day off.
Be patient
Allow at least a week after the show to hear from any suppliers to whom you gave your business card.
And again:
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Be on the grapevine
Find out what others thought about products and events seen at the show. Use the tags mentioned earlier, and
searching the blogosphere for posts about Bett, eg on Technorati.
Find out what I’ve seen and thought
Check the ICT in Education website for news and reviews about the show.
Share what you’ve seen and thought
See below.
7 Ways to voice your own thoughts about Bett 2014
If you would like to comment on your own experiences of the Bett show, you may like to do one or more of the
following:
Offer to contribute an article...
... to our newsletter and the ICT in Education website;
Add your own comment to one of my blog posts about Bett
Look here for my articles on Bett 2014. Keep revisiting that link for further articles as time goes on.
Contribute to the 2014 Bett Review ...
... by completing this form;
Write your own blog about Bett ...
... and then let me know the link;
Tweet about it ...
... using the hashtag #Bett2014;
Comment about it in Facebook ...
... if you have an account;
Comment about it ...
... in the Bett Linked-In group, if you’re a member of Linked-in.
2 Ways to have your students blog about Bett
If you have taken students with you, get them to share their experiences. This sort of thing is happening anyway (and
has happened in previous years).
Ways that your students could share their experiences include:
Write articles ...
... on your school’s blog. (If you sign up to Quadblogging your students will be virtually guaranteed to receive
comments on their efforts.)
Student reflections
Contact me about publishing some student reflections on the ICT in Education website.
4 Other great sources of advice about Bett
Clearly, the advice in this guide is the best (), but you may find the following useful as well:
Bett for beginners
by Ian Addison. Ian’s guide is very succinct, and includes links to other people’s advice too.
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12 Ways Bett can help improve your school
by Doug Woods. Some very practical advice from a veteran Bett attendee.
The Bett Show 2014 – A SecEd Guide
A “glossy” publication, the SecEd guide includes useful sections, including predictions of where educational
technology is going and some background information from the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA).
Tech trends at Bett 2014
Some good tips from Casio’s Gemma Platt, including a reference to “iTods” – a term I hadn’t come across before. It
means toddlers who are using tablets.
Conclusion
The Bett show is a great opportunity to bring yourself up to date on new developments, try out products, carry out
research and meet new and established professional acquaintances. But as ever, good planning is essential to ensure
that you get the most out of it.
I hope you found this guide useful. Please note that I’m not working for Bett or its organisers, and that all these
suggestions have been offered in good faith.
If you enjoyed reading this and found it helpful, please visit the ICT in Education website, where you will find many
articles on ICT and computing in education.
Also, consider subscribing to our free newsletter – you will not be spammed.
Floor plan
Please see next page.
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